Shloka 4
Characteristics of the King and His Servants
Rāja-dharma, Nīti, and Ethical Revenue
दोग्धारः क्षीरभुञ्जाना विकृतं तन्न भुञ्जते / परराष्ट्रं महीपालैर्भोक्तव्यं न च दूषयेत्
dogdhāraḥ kṣīrabhuñjānā vikṛtaṃ tanna bhuñjate / pararāṣṭraṃ mahīpālairbhoktavyaṃ na ca dūṣayet
Those who milk and live by the milk do not consume it when it has become tainted. In the same way, kings may draw revenue from a foreign land when necessary, but they should not defile it or bring it to ruin.
Lord Viṣṇu (in instruction to Garuḍa)
Concept: Legitimate enjoyment/revenue must not become defilement or destruction; power entails stewardship.
Vedantic Theme: Ahimsa and dharmic restraint governing artha; non-exploitative action as a purifier of intent.
Application: In occupation, trade, or extraction, maintain standards that protect people and resources; avoid policies that ‘spoil the milk’—corruption, pollution, and abuse.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: neighboring polity/territory
Related Themes: Garuda Purana raja-dharma: taxation/appropriation with restraint; protection of conquered/foreign territories
FAQs
This verse frames kingship as stewardship: even when a ruler takes benefit (revenue/resources), dharma requires avoiding corruption, exploitation, and destruction of the land and its people.
Indirectly, it teaches ethical restraint and non-corruption—principles that shape karma. In the Garuḍa Purāṇa’s broader framework, such governance and conduct influence merit and future consequences.
Use resources you depend on without degrading them—whether public funds, workplaces, ecosystems, or communities; take only what is due and avoid actions that “spoil” the source.